Alter Markt, Central square and pedestrian area in Altstadt, Kiel, Germany.
Alter Markt is a paved open square in the center of Kiel's Altstadt, forming part of the city's pedestrian zone. It is flanked on all sides by buildings of different periods, most of them rebuilt after the Second World War.
The square was laid out in 1242 as the marketplace in front of Kiel's original town hall. Most of the surrounding buildings were destroyed in the Second World War and later replaced with simpler postwar structures.
The name of the square points back to its role as the original marketplace at the heart of the old town. Today it draws locals and visitors passing through the pedestrian zone, especially around the cafés and shops that line its edges.
The square sits at the heart of central Kiel and is easy to reach on foot from most parts of the city center. The ground is flat and even, so it poses no difficulty for people using a wheelchair or stroller.
Old cellar passages from medieval times run beneath the square and were partially filled in during 1877 to stabilize the ground. Anyone crossing the square today is walking above a network of hidden spaces that date back several centuries.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
